Gate latch



W. B. ADAMS Sept. 2, 1952 GATE LATCH Filed Aug. 27, 1951 William .5. 1901541215 ATTO R N EYS Patented 'Sept. 2, 1952 one tliird alignment-A ust n, 1951, seriaincxaiaim This inventionis directed-Ito, and; it, is a major obieetfto provide, .a. novel gate .lgteh; the T latter including a'latchinggassembly' whichpern'iits of easy. closing .ofithe gate,..a'ssures oiipositive'latching, and "is readily Jma'nually .jieleas'eti ito lopen n ga 1 ,gAnother .j important .obj'ect. ofl 'the invention is to provide agate manipulated, to open the gate, from either side of the latter and' withoutthe neeessity of reaching over the top of said gate.

An additionalbbjectdf the invention is to providewa noveh gate latch, as :in "the preceding paragraph, which can be manual .re'leas'edzironr each side of the gate, for opening r of "the same away from or toward a person, selectively.

A further object of theinvention is toprovide afgate latch wherein the Hatching assembly includes' 'anovelarrangement (if-latching rings supported in connection with a double-acting gate release lever; there being a pair of said rings normally holding a gate tongue therebetween, and the lever being adapted to lift one ring or the other, depending on the intended direction of opening of the gate.

It is also an object of the invention to pro- H vide a gate latch which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, convenience of installation, and long life without breakage.

Still another object of the invention is. to provide a practical and reliable gate latch, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will iully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the gate latch as in use and in a released position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate latch, partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the improved gate latch comprises an inverted channel l of substantial length; such channel being relatively narrow but quite deep.

The inverted channel I is horizontally secured by attachment bolts la to a gate post 2 on the face of the latter adjacent the gate 3 and in a position above a horizontal tongue 4 which projects outwardly from the top of the gate at its free end. When the gate 3 is closed the tongue 4 projects beneath the inverted channel substantially centrally of the ends of the latter.

-A'.-pair of latching-ri'ngs- 5 are-'dis'posedzinsvernearly "free play relation in. the inverted nel t .eand "normal-1 ydepend therefrom son-Yep posite sides of the gate tongue 4; such late rings 5* being suspended from sleeves 6 the channel I "vertically :slidable relation; sleeve 6 being tapped: andhavingthe stud or thread end 1 of a lifting pin '8 thread'ed thereirito; 1

'The liftirigpihs e project through col-respond.- ing' arcuate= slots 9 the 'side of' the-inverted channel I ad'jacent'the gate s; "suchslots being of substantial lengthand each is concentricte the" lowerend portion of the other. The sleeves d are of somewhat greater diameter than the width-*of-the arcuate" slots" 9" whereby" such-sleeves are maintained against escape throughsueh slots.

At their outer endsthe. lifting pins 13' are- 's'e cured to 'a double acting, gate release-lever H! which extends lengthwise in engagement along the side of the inverted channel I adjacent the gate 3; such lever being of a length that it projects at the ends beyond such channel. At the projecting ends the gate release lever I0 is formed with finger pads H.

When the gate release lever I0 is in its normal position the lifting pins 8 are in the bottom of the corresponding arcuate slots 9, and the latching rings 5 then depend on opposite sides of the tongue 4. In this position of the rings the gate is effectively latched against opening in either direction, for the reason that the rings 5 are prevented from laterally outward swinging by means of corresponding stop pins l2 fixed transversely in the inverted channel I outwardly of each of said rings 5. The position of the stop pins 12 is such that while it prevents the rings from swinging laterally outwardly any substantial distance, such rings may work up and down in the channel I.

When it is desired to open the gate from either side thereof the near finger pad I l is manipulated either down or up. When the near finger bead is pressed down, the opposite pin 8 travels upwardly in its slot 9, raising the corresponding ring 5 so that the gate 3 is released for opening away from the person.

If the near finger pad is raised, the near pin 8 and ring 5 are likewise raised, so that the gate 3 opens toward the person.

Thus, without reaching over the gate, and by a simple manipulation on a near side thereof, a person can release the latch for opening of the gate away from or toward such person, selectively.

After the latch is released and the gate opened,

the latch functions automatically to catch the gate as the latter swings closed. This is for the reason that as the tongue 4 swings towards and engages either of the rings 5, as the gate closes, such ring is forced upwardly and then drops to latching position; the other ring, after engagementby theztongue 4, swinging only a short distance and then' coming to bear against the related stop pin l2.

The described gate latch functions quite smoothly,yet positively, both when being released, and upon its re-engagement with the gate tongue; the latch thus being very practical and reliable.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will fully fulfill the objects of .the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by theappended claims. I e

I Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired 1. A gate latch comprising an inverted channel adapted to be secured transversely to a gate post in position above an end part of the gate when the latter is c1osed; a pair of vertically movable rings disposed in spaced relation. in the channel andnormally depending below the latter onopposite. sides of said-end part of the gate, transverse liftingpins in the channel from which corresponding-rings are'suspended, the outer side of the channel having arcuate slots through which the lifting pins project, each slot-being concentric to the lower end portion of the other slot, and a 4 release lever extending lengthwise of said outer side of the channel and said lifting pins being secured to the lever.

2. A gate latch comprising an inverted channel adapted to be secured transversely to a gate post in position above an end part of the gate when the-latter is closed, a pair of vertically movable lifting pins in the channel from which corresponding rings are suspended, the outer side of the channel having arcuate slots through which the lifting pins project, each slot being concentric to the lower end portion of the other slot, and

a release lever extending lengthwise of said outer side of the channel and said lifting pins being secured to the lever; there being transverse stop pins in the channel outwardly of the lower end portion of each slot.

3. A gate latch, as in claim 1, in which the lever is of greater length than the channel, and hand members on the ends of said lever.

4. A gate latch, as in claim 1, in which the inner end of each lifting pin is threaded, and a bearing sleeve on the threaded portion of each pin slidable in the channel but of a diameter greater than the width of. the corresponding slot.

WILLIAM B. ADAMS.

[REFERENCES orrEn UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,439 Calkins 61', 8,1 July 14, 1908 988,427 Anderson Apr. 4, 1911 

